US and China Poised to Extend Trade Truce as Trump Prepares for April Beijing Summit with Xi

The United States and China are preparing to extend their fragile trade truce by up to a year when President Donald Trump meets President Xi Jinping in Beijing in early April, according to multiple sources familiar with the discussions.

The current truce was reached last October after the two leaders held bilateral talks on the sidelines of a summit in Busan, South Korea. It rolled back escalated tariffs and export controls that had built up over months of intense tensions, including triple-digit retaliatory duties and China's widespread boycott of US agricultural products for much of 2025.

Since the agreement took effect, China has resumed purchases of US soybeans — a key and politically sensitive export for American farmers.

Extending the informal arrangement, viewed by officials as a practical and achievable step, would allow the upcoming summit to centre on short-term economic gains, including new Chinese commitments to buy US goods, the sources said.

Trump is eager for visible progress ahead of the November midterm elections, as concerns grow over maintaining Republican majorities in Congress. After a nearly two-hour phone call with Xi on February 4, Trump said Beijing was considering purchasing additional US soybeans.

Trump is expected to travel to China in early April, according to people with knowledge of the plans. An initial proposed arrival date was March 31, with the bilateral meeting scheduled in the first week of April as part of a roughly three-day visit. The exact timing is still under discussion, partly due to China's Qingming (tomb-sweeping) festival on April 5.

While the White House and Beijing have not yet formally announced the dates, multiple sources indicate the early-April window will be confirmed.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that senior Treasury officials visited China last week to strengthen communication channels between Washington and Beijing. The visit focused on preparations for the next high-level trade talks, to be led by Bessent and Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng.

Bessent said he anticipates continued constructive dialogue and positive momentum in the coming weeks to prepare for the next face-to-face meeting. He has also noted that China is on track to meet its commitments under the existing deal, including buying 12 million tonnes of US soybeans by the end of February.

Politico, citing three sources, reported that Trump will visit Beijing in the first week of April, though White House officials have stressed that final dates have not been set.

The most recent high-level discussions prior to the Busan leaders' meeting took place in Malaysia in October, where China agreed to defer export controls on rare earth supplies and the US removed 100% tariffs on certain Chinese goods.

The planned April summit and potential truce extension reflect both sides' interest in maintaining stability in bilateral economic ties amid ongoing challenges.

US soybean exports to China had dropped sharply earlier in 2025 before recovering under the truce.